Retrieving the Broken Pieces
by Seichiinara
Summary: A bunch of drabbles that deal with relooking the entire series and zooming in on random parts that weren't really explained in the series. May involve lots of angst and KanoKido bias.
1. Chapter 1: Ayano's Death

Chapter I: Ayano's Death

It had been two weeks since then. How the three children had managed for that span of time, no one knew. Being the only girl, and the one who had helped Ayano most when preparing dinner, Kido had been the one to bring the barren plates of freezer food to their rooms since.

Aside from that, all of them had lost another spark in their eyes. Lethargically driving to work everyday; listening to music through earphones on an iPod; chatting up the migrating birds outside the window; smiling every time Kido dropped by with lunch in hand.

"We can't continue doing this any more," the boy in the white hoodie muttered. Both Kano and Kido kept their eyes lowered, the microwaved chicken paused on their way from the girl's hands.

A bright smile lit up Kano's features. "What're you talking about?" Lack of practice let a flash of red flit across his false demeanour. "There's nothing wrong at all."

_It's all my fault again._

Seto could feel it, the accusation of a desperate child: You could have done something. You had the ability to see into her. But I didn't make use of that to save Ayano onee-chan.

Handing over the plate, Kido turned to walk away as the bright-eyed boy closed the door.

_I wish I didn't exist._

The headache she had thought was gone was back again. Under her hardened heart, he could hear the lament of a little girl: If I weren't around, Ayano onee-chan wouldn't have been so desperate to do that to escape me.

Seto stood alone in the hallway. "I can see through your lies," he murmured, not a single trace of red in his darkened eyes.

Yet another two weeks passed.


	2. Chapter 2: Danchou

Chapter II: Danchou

Yet another two weeks passed.

"Seto's right." Kido froze in her tracks as she began leaving his room. Apart from the ordinary greeting of _gochisosama_, there had been little to no communication between them. She turned back, the eyebags under her reddened eyes distinct. "Excuse me?"

"Seto's right. We have to move on," the annoying cheerful voice rang out again. This time, not a single flicker of red could be seen, but Kido was sure those golden pupils of his was a lie too. "Get Seto over here, won't you?" Too exhausted to refuse, she soon returned with the person Kano had asked for. Getting onto his bed, the other two children soon followed suit.

The dumplings forgotten on his desk, Kano continued. "We need a leader for the Dan." While Seto bowed his head in agreement, Kido flinched and looked away, gritting her teeth. Kano knew why. Being a girl, traumatic events took much, much longer to forget. And ever since being burnt alive, which admittedly was much more agonising and long-lasting than drowning or being stabbed, she had become even more sensitive to such things.

"Kido, please take care of us!" Again, she flinched, but on a much larger scale. Trembling violently, she looked right back at him. "What do you mean?" Her nervous, surprised voice replied.

Merely grinning back at her, Kano replied. "Well, since Ayano onee-chan was a girl, our next leader should be a girl too!" This time, both Seto and Kido flinched at the mentioning of Ayano's name, but only Kido chose to show any resistance.

"I don't want to." The stubborn response of a naive little girl, as expected. While her head was lowered, Kano looked over at Seto, who got the message immediately. "I'll go check what groceries we need to buy tomorrow."

Both of them alone, Kano poked Kido. "Stop trying to hide," he said coldly to the girl, who wiped her tears and looked back up, quietly uttering a "sorry" in a hoarse whisper. "Kido," he began in a nonchalant voice, "I'm asking you to be leader, because I know you. You're afraid to stand out, because you're afraid everyone hates you, right?" The surprise showing on her face said no less.

He changed to a soft tactic. "Don't worry... We're sure you'll make a fine leader."

_Just as planned._

"B-but what if I can't?" Her jumbled words mixed with her choked voice echoed. "What if I can't make up for Ayano onee-chan?"

At this, the boy flashed another smile. "I know you can!" Kido broke out into tears again, and he hugged her gently as she buried her face into his clothes. Momentarily, his illusion broke, to reveal a monster smiling sinisterly down at the innocent girl.

_Control the leader, and everything else belongs to you._

It had been so simple.

He had chosen this specific day, the day before grocery shopping, for a purpose. Kido, who needed someone to guide her, to tell her that she was important, was easy enough to manipulate. Seto, on the other hand, would not have been so easy, and would have seen through his lies. First, he would control Kido, and make her become the leader. From there, it was simple. Everyone had to listen to the leader, of course, and Seto and any other new members would fall under his grasp.

Now, he would easily be able to get anyone and everyone to do what was needed. Things like another death would never happen again, he was sure of it. Absolute control meant that he could prevent these kind of events from happened again to the people he treasured.

When Seto came back, a determined Kido nodded her head, and grinned at Kano, who grinned back.

_Mission accomplished._


	3. Chapter 3: Forest-Illuminating Moon

Chapter III: Forest-Illuminating Moon

"Where do you want to take me?" The calling of a white-hooded boy didn't falter the movement of Tsukihiko.

"You can hear me, can't you? I have something to show you."

Seto shut up and did as told, following as fast as he could. "You're fast," he panted as he was led into a lush forest. He had first shown up outside Seto's bedroom window, and through his gestures, convinced Seto to follow him. Kano was away on a secret mission that Kido refused to tell Seto about, so he was out of the picture. But Kido will be worried, he thought to himself.

Ignoring all of the boy's words, Tsukihiko continued, quick as wind. Upon sighting what he had been searching for, he stopped dead in his tracks, and waited for the boy to catch up. "You'd better take care of her," he told the young boy sternly. To his dismay, Seto was clearly stupider than he looked, because he started climbing the tree. "What? Oh, god save my soul..." If Tsukihiko could facepalm, he would have done so.

"Please be more careful," Tsukihiko dryly commented as Seto fell out of the tree, leaves catching onto his hood. But finally, he noticed the little house not too far away, that Tsukihiko had been trying to lead him to, and headed towards it, towards Tsukihiko's lovely granddaughter whom he would soon meet.

Tsukihiko watched as Shion's daughter finally found someone to accompany her and teach her about the beautiful world. He watched how the human and Medusae met, exactly the same way his son-in-law and daughter had met, with the guidance of a small bird.

No matter where you are now, no matter the number of times I reincarnate, I'll always look out for our children. Spreading his wings, Tsukihiko swore he could hear the sound of Azami's laughter once again, from somewhere he couldn't reach.


End file.
